Gallery: Automotive Oddities

Fuller Dymaxion That's Fuller, as in legendary inventor Buckminster Fuller. In 1933, he came out with this 3-wheeled people-mover - steered by the rear wheel. Not exactly the most stable or intuitive design out there. At its debut at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, it crashed, killing the driver. Wikimedia Commons photo.

PHOTO: Sicnag, Wikimedia Commons

Citroen 2CV. Wikimedia Commons photo.

PHOTO: Jamieli, Wikimedia Commons

1966 Peel Trident

PHOTO: Handout, automotoportal.com

AMC Pacer. Wikimedia Commons photo.

PHOTO: Triskel99, Wikimedia Commons

Nissan Cube

PHOTO: TTTNIS, Wikimedia Commons

2002-2005 Ford Thunderbird. There have been countless attempts to re-jig old car designs for the 21st century, but few failed as badly as the 2002-05 Ford Thunderbird. The original was an American classic immortalized by the Beach Boys. The remake was a dreadful Boomer-mobile, a blurry caricature of an aging man's childhood nostalgia. Wikimedia Commons photo.

PHOTO: IFCAR, Wikimedia Commons

Chevrolet Chevette. In response to the mid-70s oil crisis, GM proved early on that, along with the other Big 3 automakers, it had either no interest in making decent compact cars - or no clue about how to do it. The Chevette was the first warning of what would be a near half-century of misfires in the compact and subcompact segments. Wikimedia Commons photo.

PHOTO: Chevrolet, Wikimedia Commons

1968 King Midget.

PHOTO: Handout, Bill Vance, Bill Vance

1975 Trabant

PHOTO: Handout, rmauctions.com

Donkervoort GT. Ultra-light and bare-bones in design, the Dutch-made Donkervoort GT might be a lot of fun - if you plan to take it to the track every day. Wikimedia Commons photo.

BMW Isetta. BMW took an earlier, Italian-designed microcar and made it its own. Aesthetically, it's only about a notch above the Messerschmitt. Wikimedia Commons photo.

PHOTO: Pujanak, Wikimedia Commons

Chrysler PT Cruiser

PHOTO: Graeme Fletcher, Postmedia News

Subaru Baja. Based on the Outback wagon, the Baja was never really sure what it wanted to be. It wasn't quite a wagon, yet too short to be a pickup or SUV, and not off-roady enough to rival a Jeep. Instead, it was lost somewhere in between - and 100% ugly. Wikimedia Commons photo.

PHOTO: IFCAR, Wikimedia Commons

The Reliant Robin. One less wheel in the front - under the engine, mind you - equals infinitely more dangerous. Wikimedia Commons photo.

PHOTO: Pazza328, Wikimedia Commons

1937 Cord 812. Not a bad looking ride, but the Cord featured a major flaw in its engine design. It had an aluminum engine block and steel pistons. In cold weather, you couldn't start it because the pistons were literally stuck (aluminum contracts faster than steel in cold weather). Wikimedia Commons photo.